Art Festivals & Events

By enhancing the quality of yabusame and kasagake, two forms of horseback archery reputed as icons of Japan’s traditional culture, and conducting events that offer various experiences in collaboration with other local cultural traditions, this project will make more visible the attraction of traditional Japanese culture and the local region.
As the Japan Equestrian Archery Association does not have annual events in July and December, it will hold additional yabusame rituals during these months, thus offering more opportunities to view yabusame. We will also expand the content of the annual Kamigamo Jinja Kasagake Ritual in Kyoto.
All events will be presented in conjunction with local cultural traditions; making effective use of local cultural resources, with yabusame and kasagake at the core, we will further draw out the appeal of the local area.
The July 16 and December 2 events will be held at the Yabusame Kamakura Ground, while the October 15 event will take place at Kamigamo Jinja. The Yabusame Kamakura Ground is a dedicated training facility for yabusame that was opened in November 2020 and is equipped with a 220-meter horse track. Located in Kamakura City, the ancient samurai capital, it is easily accessible from central Tokyo. Kamigamo Jinja is located in Kyoto City and has deep ties with horses, having conducted the Kamo Kurabeuma ritual, said to be the world’s oldest horse racing event, since 930 years ago.

1. Holding new yabusame events to increase opportunities to view yabusame

Yabusame events will be held in July and December; the December event will be specially designed to be enjoyable for first-time foreign visitors. Furthermore, we will improve the viewing environment by increasing the number of tent seats and installing an LED screen truck.
<Date and time> Sunday, July 16, 2023, and Saturday, December 2, 2023, both from 10:00 am (tentative)
<Venue> Yabusame Kamakura Ground, Japan Equestrian Archery Association (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
<Multilingual support> English consecutive interpretation will be provided for the live broadcast and commentary on yabusame.
<Hands-on programs 1> Exhibition booths will be set up introducing Noh theater, Kamakura-bori lacquerware, and the food culture of the Kamakura period.
<Hands-on programs 2> Hand-led horse rides for children, horse feeding, and meet-and-greets with archers will be offered.

2. Improving the viewing environment of existing events

Among the existing events, we have selected the kasagake ritual at Kamigamo Jinja—which attracts many foreign tourists, is included in the area hosting EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and is one of the most prestigious shrines in Japan—for further improvement of the viewing environment, including by increasing the number of tent seats. Furthermore, we will collaborate with the Kamo Kurabeuma equestrian ritual.
<Date> Sunday, October 15, 2023
<Venue> Kamigamo Jinja (Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)
<Multilingual support> English consecutive interpretation will be provided for the live broadcast and commentary on kasagake.
<Collaboration> A demonstration of the Kamo Kurabeuma horseracing ritual will be held.
<Hands-on programs> Hand-led horse rides for children, horse feeding, and a meet-and-greet with archers will be offered.

3. Strengthening online distribution and publicity

(1) Introduction of year-round events
We will produce pamphlets (in Japanese and English) and videos (in Japanese and English) to inform the public about the annual schedule of yabusame and kasagake events conducted by the Japan Equestrian Archery Association.
(2) Online distribution (July 16, 2023)
We will live stream the event with commentary and subtitles in English.